George l



(No Model.)

e. LBARNEY. DOOR KNOB LOCK. No. 545,555.

Patented Sept. 3,1895.

Ouah/Www UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

GEORGE L. BARNEY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHNL. CLOUGH, OF SAME PLACE. n

DOOR- KNOB LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,665, datedSeptember 3, 1895.

Application nea February ze, 1894.x sean no. 501,571. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE' L. BARNEY'. a citizen of the United States,residing at? In-v dianapolis, in the county of Marion vand State ofIndiana, have invented certainl new and useful Improvements in Door-KnobLocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to door-knob locks, and it has for its object toprovide a doorknob with a keyless locking device embraced within theknob, so that the knob is adapted to be applied to any of the ordinarylocks or latches; and to these ends my invention consists in the variousfeatures of construction and arrangement of parts, substantially ashereinafter more fully set forth. l

In the accompanying drawingsl have illustrated one preferred embodimentof my present invention, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional viewof the knob. Fig. 2 is a side view with the cap removed and showing onepart in section. Y Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of differentforms of locking devices.

My invention relates more particularly to that class of door-knobsshown, described, and claimed in my application, Serial No. 501,57 2,tiled herewith; and my present invention li as for its obj ect, amongother things,`to

provide a knob with a keyless locking device, in which the clutch orportion connecting the knob with the latch or lock to be operated isautomatically controlled-that is to say, that when the properpush-buttons are operated the clutch or similar device will engage withthe latch or lock-operating device automatically, and wherein thepush-buttons and clutch will disengage with the latch or lock-operatingdevices, and the knob can be turned freely without in any Way affectingthe latch or lock, and cannot again'engage therewith until the properpush-buttons or similar controlling devices are properly manipulated.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a door or other body having alock or latching device, which is provided with some sort of anoperating mechanism-such, for instance, as a spindle B,- this beingshown merely as a typical connectionmand this spindle is arranged to beoperated by some sort of a clutch mechanism connecting with a knob C.The knob() may be of any shape or form or any material, but is shown asconsisting ot' two parts c c', properly secured together, as by screwsc2, and having a shank or extension c3, and this extension is providedwith a ring or collar or similar device c4, by means of which the knobmay be secured to the door or other support by an escutcheon D and beheld in position, so that it Will rotate freely in the escutcheonadjacent to the spindle or other connecting portion of the latch to beoperated. The clutching device shown in the present instance embraces anenlarged head b', secured to the spindle B and turning in a recess inthe enlargement c4, and a clutch portion or block E, having projectionsengaging the slot in the enlargement b', and this clutch-,block slidesin a recess in the shank c3 of the knob.

Connected to the clutch E is aplunger-rod G,'having an enlargement orcollar G sliding in a' recess in the shank of the knob and provided witha spring G2, which normally tends to hold the clutch device in theposition shown in Fig. 1, that is disengaged from the spindleof the lockor latch. The plunger-rod extends forward beyond the collar, and its endis preferably supported in the cap c', and it -is provided with somesort of means controlling the movement of the rod and controlled by thepush-buttons or similar devices hereinafter described, the form shown inthe present instance being typical only so far as the main purposes'ofmy present invention are concerned.

The knob is provided with a series of push-k buttons H, shown asarranged in sockets in the periphery of the knob, and while I have showntwelve push-buttons in the present instance it is to be understood thatthe number and arrangement of these buttons is immaterial and may bevaried without depart# ing from my invention. These push-buttons controlthe locking devices for the clutch, and in the present instance Ihaveshown the plates I I', adapted to be connected to the push-buttonsand provided with slots at their ends embracing cut-away portions of theplunger=rod G, the slots having enlarged portions K, permitting theplunger-rods to slide freely therethrough in reduced' portions K',which, surrounding the reduced portions ot' the plunger-rod, prevent itsmovement. It

Vwill be noted that the relative positions of plates asdesired-livebeingshown in Fig. 2,

for instance, for the sake of clearness. It will be understood thatwhen'the locking devices are properly manipulated the plungerrod may beoperated to move' the clutch to engage with the lock to be operated, butif one of the false locking devices are operated this movement of theclutch is prevented, and it will be observed that there may be anyrelative number of true and false locking devices arranged in anydesired relation to each other.v

Some means must be provided for holding the push-button in their normalpositions and for operating the plunger-rod automatically to engage thespindle of the lock or latch to be operated, and while these may differI have shown a preferred construction embodying the springs P. Thesesprings may be of various form; but that in the drawings is found to bedesirable, being composed of a coil p, having extensions p' p2, theformer of which engages the` plate or push-button and controls itsnormal position, while the latter engages a collar G8 or similar deviceon the plunger-rod. I also provide the false locking device with similarsprings P, so that it will require the same amount of pressure to movethem as it does the true locking devices and their connectedpush-buttons, the only dilerence being that the end 192 of the springbears against the wall of the knob instead of against the flan georcollar G3. It will be observed that the springs P4 act in oppositionto the spring G2, and I preferably arrange their tension so that whenall the true locking devices have been simultaneously depressed and theplunger-rod is freefto move through the epenings the combined force ofthe springs connected to the said pusl1-buttons or locking devices willovercome the pressure of the spring G2 and automatically engage theclutch device, so that the latch can be turned, and when theV pressureon the push-buttons is relieved the spring G2 will automatically disengage the clutch. It will thus be seen that the movements of the clutchare automatic, in the respect that it is normally held out of engagementWith the spindle or operating device of the latch, and when the properpush-buttons are operated it is automatically engaged with the clutch,so that the lock can be operated. It need not beobserved that when afalse push-button is depressed,

notwithstanding all the true push-buttons are depressed, the clutch willnot be operated, and it is necessary, therefore, in order to operate theknob that the true combination of pushbuttons be manipulatedsimultaneously and none other.

In the present instance I have shown the knob as having a centralrecess, in which is fitted a box-like case R, having guide-holes o',through which the locking devices pass, and Von removing the cap of theknob this case can be removed and the parts conveniently adjustedtherein; but this is a detail which may be varied, as may be the otherdetails of construction ofthe knob, Without departing from thelessentialfeatures of my invention.

lWhat I claim is l 1. A knob, provided with keyless locking devices, aclutch member carried by the knob, means for automatically disengagingthe said clutch member from its corresponding member, and springs actingin opposition to said disengaging means for engaging the clutch memberwhen the proper keyless locking devices are operated, substantially asdescribed.

2. A knob provided with keyless locking devices, a clutch member mountedon the knob, a spring for automatically disengaging the clutch memberfrom its corresponding member and a spring or springs controlled by thekeyless locking devices, for engaging the clutch members, substantiallyas dcscribed.

3. A knob provided with keyless locking devices a clutch, a plunger rodconnected to the clutch, a spring for holding the plunger rod in normalposition, a series of springs acting in opposition to the rst andbearing on the plunger rod, and controlled by the keyless lockingdevices, substantially as described. y

4. A knob provided with keyless locking devices embracing a series ofpush buttons, a clutch and rod for operating the same, and a series ofsprings, one end of each of which is connected to the rod, and the otherend of each of which is connected to one of the push buttons,substantially as described.

5. A knob provided with a clutch and rod, a spring for holding the samein normal position, a series of push buttons, plates connected to thepush buttons and engaging the rod and provided with openings, and aseries of springs connected to the push buttons, a portion of which arealso connected to the rod, substantially as described.

6. A knob, provided with a clutch device, a rod connected thereto, aspring for holding the clutch in normal position, a series ofpushbuttons, a series of plates connected to the push-buttons and havingopenings and controlling the movements of the rod, and springs connectedto said plates, a portion of which springs are arranged to operate theclutch, substantially as described.

7. A knob, having a recess in its outer portio tion, provided with aremovable box-like name to this specification in the presence of casing,a series of push-buttons, plates contwo subscribing witnesses.

nected to the push-buttons and extending into the casing, and springsmounted in the GEORGE L. BARNEY.

5 casing and connected to the plates, substan- Witnesses:

tially as described. E. L. TUMBLIN,

In testimony whereof I have signed my J. EDW. MORRIS.

